Former Minneapolis water department employee in custody after threats

Photo: Ramsey County Sheriff's Office

Updated: September 11, 2019 10:59 AM

A former employee of the Minneapolis water department is in custody after he threatened to shoot employees at the facility.

According to a criminal complaint, officers responded to the Minneapolis Public Water Works Treatment and Distribution Service last month after the former employee, identified as 48-year-old Michael Samuel Butler, told authorities he planned the shooting and had left a bag with guns and ammunition near the facility.

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At the time, Butler was at Regions Hospital. He told officers he started having issues with coworkers who reportedly made false allegations about him to supervisors, according to the complaint.

When police went to the facility, they learned Butler had been fired a few weeks earlier after not showing up for work three days in a row.

Butler told authorities during that time, he had gone on a drug binge and had checked himself into the hospital.

Butler has been charged with one count of felony-level threats of violence. He is currently in custody.